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  Fables de Phèdre
  LES AMBASSADEURS DES CHIENS ET JUPITER , Fable 18

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<td class="fp-left"><div class="fp-chapter"><a href="/2011/09/le-sort-des-hommes.html">Fable précédente</a></div>
<div class="fp-title"><span class="fp-number">Livre 4, Fable 18</span><span class="fp-text">LES AMBASSADEURS DES CHIENS ET JUPITER</span></div>
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<td class="fp-right"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/hnFlepXlXY4yhCbWY1_MKg?feat=directlink"><img class="fp-image" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-xkhD91KbXmU/Tog7v_FybLI/AAAAAAAAD1g/SqYNMOUviLY/s144/79-les-ambassadeurs-des-chiens-et-jupiter.jpg" /></a><div class="fp-chapter"><a href="/2011/09/le-serpent-la-misericorde-dangereuse.html">Fable suivante</a></div>
<div class="fp-title"><span class="fp-number">Liber IV, Fabula XVIII</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">CANES LEGATOS AD JOVEM</span></div>
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<td class="fp-left"><span class="fp-paragraph"><span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">1&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">Un jour, les Chiens envoyèrent une ambassade à Jupiter</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">2&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">pour lui demander une condition plus douce,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">3&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">et le prier de les soustraire aux mauvais traitements des hommes ;</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">4&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">on ne leur donnait que du pain de son,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">5&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">ils devaient assouvir leur faim dans les plus dégoûtantes ordures.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">6&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">Les ambassadeurs partent donc sans se presser,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">7&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">cherchant dans chaque tas de fumier quelque nourriture.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">8&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">Mercure les appelle, mais en vain ; enfin ce dieu les va chercher,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">9&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">et les amène tout troublés.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">10&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">Mais dès qu'ils virent la face majestueuse de Jupiter,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">11&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">de frayeur, ils infectèrent toute la cour céleste.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">12&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">Chassés à coups de bâton, ils cherchaient à sortir,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">13&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">lorsque le grand Jupiter défendit qu'on les renvoyât.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">14&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">Les Chiens étonnés du retard de leurs Députés,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">15&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">pensèrent bien qu'ils avaient fait quelque sottise ;</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">16&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">aussi, peu de temps après, on en choisit de nouveaux.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">17&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">La renommée avait déjà trahi les premiers ;</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">18&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">et pour prévenir pareil accident, on leur injecte</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">19&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">dans l'anus des parfums, à profusion.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">20&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">Ils reçoivent les pétitions, partent tout de suite.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">21&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">Arrivés, ils demandent audience et l'obtiennent.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">22&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">Alors, le maître de tous les dieux s'assied sur son trône,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">23&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">agite son foudre terrible, et fait trembler l'univers.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">24&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">Les Chiens, surpris par un tel fracas,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">25&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">laissèrent aller parfums et excréments.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">26&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">Tout l'Olympe demanda justice d'un tel affront.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">27&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">Mais avant de condamner, Jupiter parla ainsi&nbsp;:</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">28&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">«&nbsp;Un roi ne doit point retenir des Ambassadeurs ;</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">29&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">cependant il me sera facile de punir cette insulte.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">30&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">Qu'il reçoivent ce bienfait pour toute punition,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">31&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">je veux qu'on les laisse aller ; mais ils seront tourmentés par la faim,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">32&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">pour qu'à l'avenir ils soient maîtres de leur ventre ;</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">33&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">Quant à ceux qui vous ont si sottement députés vers moi,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">34&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">ils souffriront toujours les outrages des hommes.&nbsp;»</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">35&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">C'est pourquoi leurs descendants, qui attendent toujours leurs Députés,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">36&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text">dès qu'ils voient un nouveau Chien, le flairent au derrière.</span></span></span></td>
<td class="fp-right"><span class="fp-paragraph"><span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">1&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">Canes legatos olim misere ad Jovem</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">2&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">melioris vitae tempus oratum <span class="fp-correction" title="sue  (orig. avec var. orth.)"><span class="fp-difference">suae</span></span><span class="fp-original" title="suae  (var. orth. corr.)"><span class="fp-difference">sue</span></span>,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">3&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">ut sese eriperet hominum contumeliis,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">4&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">furfuribus sibi consparsum quod panem darent</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">5&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">fimoque turpi maximam <span class="fp-manuscript" title="Afficher le manuscrit (édition paléographique)"
>[<a target="fppithoeanus" href="http://www.archive.org/stream/lesfablesdephdr00robegoog#page/n122/mode/1up">p.59</a>]</span> explerent famem.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">6&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">Profecti sunt legati non celeri pede.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">7&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">Dum naribus scrutantur escam in stercore,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">8&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">citati non respondent. Vix tandem invenit</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">9&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">Eos Mercurius et turbatos adtrahit.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">10&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">Tum vero vultum magni ut viderunt Jovis,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">11&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">totam timentes concacarunt regiam ;</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">12&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">propulsi vero fustibus vadunt foras ;</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">13&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">vetat dimitti magnus illos Juppiter.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">14&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">Mirati sibi legatos non reverti ;</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">15&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">turpe aestimantes aliquod commissum a suis,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">16&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">post aliquod tempus alios adscribi jubent.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">17&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">Rumor legatos superiores prodidit.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">18&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">Timentes rursus aliquid ne simile accidat,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">19&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">odore canibus anum sed multo replent.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">20&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">Mandata, dimittuntur, statim</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">21&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">adeunt rogantes ; aditum continuo impetrant.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">22&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">Consedit genitor tum deorum maximus</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">23&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">quassatque fulmen ; tremere coepere omnia.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">24&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">Canes, confusus subito quod fuerat fragor,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">25&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">repente odorem <span class="fp-correction" title="mixto  (orig. avec f. de gram.)"><span class="fp-difference">mixtum</span></span><span class="fp-original" title="mixtum  (f. de gram. corr.)"><span class="fp-difference">mixto</span></span> cum merdis cacant.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">26&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">Reclamant omnes <span class="fp-manuscript" title="Afficher le manuscrit (édition paléographique)"
>[<a target="fppithoeanus" href="http://www.archive.org/stream/lesfablesdephdr00robegoog#page/n123/mode/1up">p.60</a>]</span> vindicandam injuriam.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">27&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">Sic est locutus ante poenam Juppiter&nbsp;:</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">28&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">«&nbsp;Non est legatos regis non dimittere ;</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">29&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">nec est difficile poenas culpae imponere,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">30&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">sed hoc feretis pro judicio praemium&nbsp;:</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">31&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">non veto dimitti, verum cruciari fame,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">32&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">ne ventrem continere non possint suum.</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">33&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">Illi autem qui miserunt vos tam futtiles</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">34&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">numquam carebunt hominis contumelia.&nbsp;»</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">35&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">Ita nunc legatos expectant <span class="fp-correction" title="posteros  (orig. avec f. de gram.)"><span class="fp-difference">posteri</span></span><span class="fp-original" title="posteri  (f. de gram. corr.)"><span class="fp-difference">posteros</span></span>,</span></span> <span class="fp-line"><span class="fp-number">36&nbsp;</span><span class="fp-text notranslate">novum venire cum videt, culum olfacit.</span></span></span></td>
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<td class="fp-left"><div class="fp-chapter"><a href="/2011/09/le-sort-des-hommes.html">Fable précédente</a></div></td>
<td class="fp-right"><div class="fp-chapter"><a href="/2011/09/le-serpent-la-misericorde-dangereuse.html">Fable suivante</a></div></td>
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<div class="fp-translator">Traduit par M. E. Panckoucke, 1864</div>

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